Midnight X-citement

Soldotna video game enthusiast Robert West picks up one the first XBox 360 gaming consoles to arrive on the Kenai Peninsula from Brian Hawkins, co-owner of Hawk’s Games in Soldotna. West and 11 others prepurchased the units three months in advance of the Tuesday release. Hawk’s received 12 units and opened at midnight to sell them to the faithful. Fred Meyer received 20 of the $400 full systems and 10 of the $300 “core” units, which sell without a detachable hard drive and several other accessories. Fred Meyer, which did not presell, handed out tickets to customers, many of whom camped out in the parking lot all night. All 42 units on the peninsula were gone by 7:20 a.m.